Coaching programme on Think.Coop and Start.Coop undertaken in Gaza

The coaching programme took place in Gaza between 31 October and 2 November 2022 following the training of trainers (ToT) session that was undertaken on 15 – 23 August 2022.

News | 15 November 2022
In the framework of the project on “Cooperative Support Programme CSP-OPT” the ILO organized a ToT session on Think. Coop and Start. Coop. Funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), the ToT sessions took place in Gaza from 15 to 23 August 2022 for 32 cooperative members and service providers, to become qualified trainers in ILO’s training packages.

During the training, participants engaged with the contents of Think. Coop and Start.Coop training packages. They received guidance on how to make an informed decision in establishing a cooperative based on ILO Recommendation 193. As a follow up, five participants who have successfully completed the TOT session took part in a coaching programme in Gaza from 31 October to 2 November 2022.

In his closing remarks, the Representative of the ILO in Jerusalem, Mr. Mounir Kleibo thanked AICS for its support. He also commended the trainers and the participating institutions Cooperative Work Agency (CWA), the General Cooperative Union (GCU), MAAN Development Centre (MAAN), the Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC) and the Agricultural Development Association (PARC) in the Gaza Strip for their partnership.

Mr. Mohamoud Musleh from the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation Office in Jerusalem emphasized cooperatives can help advance women’s employment in Gaza, as there is still room for increasing women’s participation in cooperatives.

Mr. Nabil Al Mabhouh, representative of the CWA in Gaza, noted that the CWA is committed to working on building a conducive policy and institutional environment for cooperatives. He emphasized the need for such an environment to improve the financial and organizational performance of cooperatives. He also noted that there is room for expanding cooperatives in new sectors and to activate other types of social and solidarity economy entities.

The ToT session and the follow up coaching were a part of a wider training programme which aims to build capacities of those interested in starting a cooperative or interested in joining an existing cooperative. The wider training course brought together 120 participants from the CWA, GCU, UWAC, MAAN and PARC. The ILO has been committed to the development of cooperatives in the oPt with activities at the policy and programmatic levels since 2007.